VISIT TO THE EAST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 September 1939, Page 8

VISIT TO THE EAST

IMPRESSIONS OF ROTARIAN ADDRESS AT MASTERTON CLUB. ISLANDS DENSELY POPULATED. Rotarian J. J. Hunter presided over an excellent attendance at the weekly meeting of the Masterton Rotary Club yesterday. Mr. Arthur Vaughan, who has recently toured the East, gave members an interesting address on his impressions of the countries visited. “Our first call after leaving Sydney was Port Moresby. We were all very keen to get on land again, but arrived back drenched with perspiration, said Mr. Vaughan. “The natives at Port Moresby are very black and both men and' women only wear a kind of loose skirt which hangs from the hips. The children wear nothing at all. The natives are not allowed in the village after 4 p.m.,” he said. “The most astounding thing in Java is the teeming thousands of people. Java is about the same size as the South Island of New Zealand, and the population exceeds 45 millions, so it is hard to realise how they all live. Java is certainly a wonderful country. Some of the hills, although very steep, are cultivated right to the top. Rice is grown as far up as water can be had, and then citronella grass, tapioca, tobacco or tea. The rice fields are a wonderful sight and are in all stages of production. Bandoeng was one of the prettiest residential places visited. It is about 3000 feet above sea level and very many wealthy Dutch people have made their homes there. The weather seemed very mild and a nice cool tinge after the seaport towns. In all the Eastern cities the roads and streets are planted with trees. Most of the roads are tar sealed and all work is done by manual labour. The natives receive about 7d per day, and the women work just as hard as the men. All the cities have an enormous Chinese population, and nearly everyone seems to have something to sell or trade.

“Although Saigon is known as the ‘Pearl of the Orient,’ it was the city which impressed me the least. It is almost entirely French as far as language is concerned. On arrival there the boat was met by a horde of hawkers and rickshaw men. Tourists are evidently looked upon as fair game, and I can assure you we have had endless fun in getting prices reduced from anything to a fifth of that asked. “In Saigon, liquor is particularly cheap and can be purchased by the bottle at almost any store. Champagne from about 3s 3d to 6s, liquors from 3s to 4s 6d and wines about 2s, New Zealand money. The most striking feature all through the East is the Size of the hotels. Even in the country towns nothing in New Zealand can approach them for size and service. There are no bars like in N e w Zealand, but all drinks are served in huge lounges. A whisky costs about 3s 2d, wine 2s 6d, ale. Is 6d per glass, but there is a waiter to about every two people. “Breakfast is served from 5 to 9 a.m. and the hotel workers get two days’ holiday per year, working seven days per week. Singapore is really a wonderful city and the climate is good compared with Java cities. Nearly everyone there speaks English, so I felt more at home there than elsewhere. In all the Eastern cities the European shops close from 12 to 4, and then reopen until about 8 p.m. All Europeans seems to sleep from 12 to 4, and that is a habit that can be quite easily acquired. Money-changers in Singapore will change currency from any country in the world with the exception of New Zealand. Practically air letters there are carried by air mail, and that service is most efficient. “The island of Samarai is the most southern part of New Guinea, being some 258 miles from Port Moresby. Samarai is the distributing centre for the many islands in that vicinity. The island is known as ‘The Island of Flowers,’ which is most appropriate, as it is' hard to describe the wonderful colours of the many tropical flowers and the vivid colours of so much of the vegetation. Cocoanut palms are growing right round the island and afford welcome shelter from the scorching sun. There is also a picturesque walk of about twenty minutes which will bring you back to your starting point, after completely circling the island. “We left Samarai for Salamaua, which is 438 miles further north. The village of Salamaua is built on a narrow neck of land not more than one hundred yards wide and presents a magnificent view from the harbour, as the sea is visible on the opposite side through an avenue of cocoanut palms.' “There is a regular air service from Salamaua to the New Guinea goldfields, the journey taking forty minutes; by plane and eight days by track. The planes used, on this service carry motor cars intact, all live and dead stock, including any article of furniture required by the employees on the gold fields. It is therefore easily imagined that these planes are somewhat larger than those seen in New Zealand. “Our next call was Rabaul, the seat of administration for New Guinea, and is on the island of New Britain which is the largest island of the Bismarck Archipelago. The harbour affords excellent anchorage for any class of shipping. Cocoanut plantations fringe the shores of the bay at frequent intervals and Rabaul is prettily situated on its shores beneath an almost circular range of mountains. The labourers, all natives, receive 11 lb. of rice per day and in addition receive six shillings per months and two sticks of black tobacco per month for their labour, which is called wages and found. The hills all along the coast of Neu£ Guinea resemble New Zealand more than any other part of the East, being heavily timbered from top to bottom. There are some very pretty drives where roads have been cut through the jungle, and on these drives some idea can be gained of the prolific growth made by the cocoanut palms on the islands. Like all Eastern towns and cities, the Chinese are firmly established, and dominate a large proportion of the shopping area.” Mr. Vaughan was accorded a vote of I thanks for his interesting and inI structive talk.